Willington Athletic Football Club was an English football club based in Willington Quay, Northumberland. The team played at a ground next to Howdon railway station.
| Full name | Willington Athletic Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1889 | |
| Dissolved | 1919 | |
| Ground | Willington Quay | |
| League | Northern Alliance | |
| 1914–15 | Northern Alliance, 3rd | |
|
| ||
History
editWillington Athletic was founded in 1888,[1] and it joined the Northern Alliance in 1891–92.[2] The club won that league's championship for the first time in 1899–1900, repeating the feat in 1904–05, 1905–06 and 1909–10.[3][4]
Its team first entered the FA Cup in 1891–92 – they lost to Shankhouse in the second qualifying round after a replay – and entered each season until competitive football was abandoned for the duration of the First World War.[5] In 1899–1900, they reached the fifth qualifying round, in which they lost to Jarrow, also after a replay.[6] They won the Northumberland Senior Cup in 1896 and 1897.[7]
The club applied for election to the Football League in 1903, but received only one vote.[8][9]
When the Northern Alliance resumed after the war, Willington Athletic initially intended to continue in membership, but by the time the 1919–20 season began, the club had resigned, its letter being accepted "with very deep regret".[10][2] The last recorded fixture for the club was a friendly in August 1919,[11] although some former players turned out for a charity match under the Athletic name in 1923.
Colours
editGround
editThe club's first ground was known as Rosehill,[14] and in 1900 the club moved to a new ground, known as Willington Quay (or occasionally as the Howdon Station Ground), midway between Howdon and Willington Quay stations.[15] In 1927 it was turned into a recreation ground by the local council.[16]
Honours and achievements
edit- Northern Alliance
- Champions: 1899–1900, 1904–05, 1905–06, 1909–10
- Northumberland Senior Cup
- Winners: 1896, 1897
Notable players
edit- Former players ( 14 )
References
edit- ^ "Football". Newcastle Daily Chronicle: 7. 13 June 1888.
- ^ a b "Northern Football Alliance". Donmouth.co.uk. Patrick Brennan. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
- ^ "Northern Alliance 1890–1976". NonLeagueMatters.co.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
- ^ "Handbook: Honours records: League championship winners". Northern Football Alliance. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
- ^ "The Emirates FA Cup: Past results". The Football Association. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
- ^ "Willington Athletic". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
- ^ Handbook 2015/16. Northumberland Football Association. 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
- ^ "Quay's bid to enter the hall of footballing fame". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 4 May 2001. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
- ^ "Division 2 1902/03". Footballsite.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 March 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
- ^ "Northern Alliance". Newcastle Daily Chronicle: 5. 11 July 1919.
- ^ "Wallsend v Willington Athletic". Newcastle Daily Chronicle: 5. 25 August 1919.
- ^ "Stockton v Willington". North Star: 4. 31 October 1898.
- ^ "Answers to correspondents". Athletic News: 4. 11 April 1904.
- ^ "Willington v Gatesehad NER". Newcastle Daily Journal: 7. 11 October 1897.
- ^ "Association football". Newcastle Daily Chronile: 6. 11 August 1900.
- ^ "Recreation ground scheme". Journal and Norht Star: 12. 17 February 1928.